


Tell Her "Greetings" When You See Her

by sunspot (unavoidedcrisis)



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/F, Flirting Gone Wrong, Love Confessions, Supportive friend group, greetings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-27
Updated: 2018-09-27
Packaged: 2019-07-18 10:16:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16116335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unavoidedcrisis/pseuds/sunspot
Summary: Cassandra saw her chances burn away in the fireplace along with the correspondence from the Vicomtess du Val Fontaine.





	Tell Her "Greetings" When You See Her

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sweettasteofbitter](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweettasteofbitter/gifts).



"You can do this," Varric says, patting Cassandra's shoulder one last time.

The Iron Bull pats her other arm, with considerably more force. "We believe in you."

"Hate to say it, Cassandra, but you might well do it." Sera’s lying sideways on the table, but she gives Cassandra two thumbs up.

Adaar's asleep with her head pillowed on Sera's bottom, but before she'd nodded off, she'd given some good advice as well.

Cassandra doesn't feel as confident as they are, nowhere near. She lets herself out of The Herald's Rest and heads for the Great Hall. She thinks about turning around, heading for her chambers, and getting some rest, but while rest might soothe her soul, it's going to dampen her fire.

There are a few people milling about when she enters, but it's getting late quickly and most people have found their lodgings for the night. Good. Less distraction, less people around as witnesses if she fails.

_Enter the room. Kneel by the desk. Present the flower. Then start talking. Say: 'Lady Montilyet, Josephine, I've come here tonight to tell you how valuable you are. To tell you that your work with the Inquisition is indispensable, and you are a treasure to us. But more importantly, that I deeply admire you. My heart beats faster when I see you across the hall. I can't help but smile when I hear your voice. Knowing I can come back to Skyhold and see you again is what frees me from fear when I'm dragged to the end of the map. Would you do me the honour of taking a walk with me?' Rise from the floor, extend your arm. And maybe, just maybe, she'll say yes._

Cassandra recites it in her head again as she walks, careful not to crush the flowers as she passes them back and forth nervously in her hands.

She'd practiced in the tavern a hundred times. She even whispered it to her friends and advisors, begrudging as some of them may have been. Varric helped with the words, Bull helped with the body language, and Herah made the paper flowers and vine for Cassandra to use as a token; they were all astoundingly supportive. Well, Sera just heckled, but even some of what she said was helpful. Now, Cassandra's the one to put it into action. She hasn't felt so nervous since last time they fought a giant.

She lets herself to Josephine's office, and the door gets away from her, slamming against the wall. Josephine jumps right out of her chair with a flurry of papers flying from the desk. Someone must have finally oiled the hinges after two months of Josephine asking.

It's either the noise of wood on stone, or maybe the shock in Josephine's eyes, or the one errant sheet of paper that loops-the-loop into the fireplace, or everything all together, but Cassandra freezes. She drops her flower, she feels her mouth moving, but nothing comes out. She doesn't move gracefully across the room like she envisioned. She doesn't kneel by Josephine and profess her admiration – she doesn't even blink.

Her eyes start to prickle.

"Cassandra?"

_'What's her name? Why can't I remember her name? I shouldn't be doing this. I should have gone to bed. I should have stuffed my head up a druffalo's arse, like Sera said.'_

She's just going to apologize for the intrusion, back slowly out of the room, and then go wake the Inquisitor to start a four-month excursion to the Forbidden Oasis immediately. Cassandra takes a deep breath and starts her apology.

"Greetings," is what she actually says.

And Josephine, the object of her affections, the most poised, most elegant of the denizens of Skyhold, almost immediately doubles over laughing.

When she thought of Josephine's potential reactions to her confession, laughter was not one of them. It's worse than the scenario where Josephine runs her through with a cursed sword, if she's being honest.

Cassandra tries to slide slyly backwards out through the door, but Josephine hurries across the room towards her, hiking up her flowing skirt with one hand and wiping the tears from her eyes with the other.

"Cassandra, come here." Josephine wraps one arm around Cassandra's waist and leads her further into the room, to the settee in front of the hearth.

"You didn't march all the way in here to say hello, did you?" Josephine asks, once they've sat down and she's got every bit of her composure back. "Is everything all right?"

"Yes, everything is fine. What I actually came in here to say is… Well, Lady Montilyet. Josephine…"

* * *

Eleven years later, it's their children's favourite bedtime story, much to Cassandra's embarrassment.

"But Mother, it all works out in the end!" Silvie says, tucking her hair behind her ear in the exact way Josephine does. Cassandra smiles in spite of herself.

"It did work out," she admits. "It worked out beautifully."

**Author's Note:**

> For sweettasteofbitter, on the occasion of the 3rd Annual Black Emporium Exchange. Major thank you to beta-superhero wintertree for the spot-on help and insight.


End file.
